Earl Spencer's vitriolic attack on King Charles has revived memories of days when the monarchy seemed to veer from tragedy to crisis to scandal. There was a time when the future of the Crown looked in danger, but Ipsos polling this month found nearly six out of ten Britons expect the country will still have a monarchy in 50 years time – and only 22% think the nation would be better off without a King or Queen.
That is despite the slew of revelations about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and the perma-hullabaloo which surrounds the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
A princess came to the rescue
The Royal Family was rebooted the moment Prince William married Catherine, Princess of Wales. She brought Hollywood-eclipsing glamour back to the institution, enchanted the world with her empathy and compassion, and won profound admiration for her dignity and courage in adversity. In this fairytale, a princess came to the rescue.
The polling found 65% of Britons had a favourable view of Catherine, with just one in ten taking a dim view of her. This is an extraordinary result in a country where politicians expect to have net negative ratings and party leaders compete to be the least disliked.
Without her, the House of Windsor would look far more vulnerable
Without her, the House of Windsor would look far more vulnerable, and so would the United Kingdom. Our fractured society needs public figures who are forces of unity, who can celebrate the nation's unsung heroes without bringing in party politics. A country always needs something to look forward to. And a Queen Catherine could unlock a golden age for the monarchy.
